“Sekolah Ciputra was a safe environment for me to grow up. Sekolah Ciputra offers various opportunities for students to explore.”
MONICA HARTONO
GRADUATED: 2017
1. After graduating from Sekolah Ciputra, where do you study? What is your major?
University of Washington, Seattle, USA majoring in Accounting and Information Systems.
2. Can you please share your experience applying to university?
There was a lot to consider when applying to university. First it was where (which country)? My parents wanted me to go to a country closer to Indonesia, but I thought American universities could provide me with more opportunities. Second, which city? At that time, because I am a very social person and mingle better with Indonesian people compared to foreigners, I chose either Seattle or California, both of which have a big Indonesian communities. Third was my major. I had to think about what I am interested in and what I might want to do for the rest of my life? Bottom line, applying to university is complicated!
3. What did you do after graduating from university?
2 weeks after graduating from university, I immediately started working as a multi-state tax analyst in Seattle. I worked for one year and then came to Shanghai to continue my studies.
4. What is your current activity? Please share an overview
I am currently studying Chinese Language at Shanghai University. Not only do I study the language, but also the culture! There is a lot to explore in China, so I am very excited about that.
5. What do you expect to do after finishing your studies at Shanghai University?
My plan is to work in China for a bit, but who knows what adventure lies ahead of me.
6. What was the biggest challenge of moving to a new country?
Biggest challenge is probably figuring out how to live like the locals instead of a foreigner. For me, I want to experience integrating into the local community and feel what it’s like living as a local in a country. For example, in the USA, people like going for a hike on the weekend, relaxing at a bar, and meeting new friends. In China, most people connect through dining together and everyone will fight to pay for the meal.
7. What do you enjoy most about your new environment?
Right now, I like how safe my environment is. Shanghai is very safe, there are cameras everywhere and there is always security in my apartment complex. There’s a beautiful public park behind my apartment, my school is right in front of my apartment, and there are a lot of dog owners around so my dog can socialize with them. There is lots of food around school and it is relatively very cheap. Everything is very convenient, all payments are through my phone, I can get everything delivered (food, groceries, et cetera), the online shop is vast, fast and complete, and all stores generally open 7 days a week including banks. Other than the language barrier and the work-life balance, I love everything about this city!
8. In what way did Sekolah Ciputra contribute to who you are right now?
In my case, Sekolah Ciputra was a safe environment for me to grow up. I was there from elementary through high school, so this community played a big role in shaping who I am right now. The most important thing I would say is Sekolah Ciputra really pushed me in developing my critical thinking, so much that now I have gotten used to always approaching a problem by analyzing and thinking outside the box. Sekolah Ciputra also taught me to be caring towards things around me, including my environment, people in my community, and health.
9. What was the best thing about Sekolah Ciputra? Tell us something memorable from your time at Sekolah Ciputra.
Best thing about Sekolah Ciputra is the various opportunities the school offers for students to explore. For example, I was able to participate in DBL, became Cinderella’s step sister in a school play, and also did an internship at Hypermart to get a taste of what it’s like working as an adult. There are lots of extracurricular activities too, so students never run out of things to do. My favorite would be going camping every year. I just love being out with my friends in nature and there is always something new that I learned there, and something funny to remember (someone always gets injured in a funny way, they cry that day but we laugh about it years later).
10. What advice would you give to a graduating student?
Use all the opportunities you get from school and do as much as you can while you can! You never know if you’re interested or good at something until you really try it yourself. Who knows, you might want to be a professional martial art fighter after joining the extracurricular. Whatever you do, do your best and choose a decision you will not regret later on.
11. Would you recommend Sekolah Ciputra to others? If yes, what would you say about it?
Of course. I would say Sekolah Ciputra is a great place to guide your children because it is safe, academically challenging (which is good) and provides lots of opportunities to be explored. It was very fun and challenging for me at the same time, which in my opinion is a perfect environment to grow.
12. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy doing anything, and it depends on my mood. When I need to cool off, I like to watch movies, walk my dog, go to a bar or have dinner with friends. When I have energy, I like to do sports (badminton, tennis, basketball, gym), play board games with friends, go hiking, camping, and traveling. When I feel inspired, I like to learn a new skill, for instance, learning a new piano song, learning to make pottery and et cetera.
13. Anything else you would like to share?
If there’s anything I can do to help or have any questions, feel free to message me! Especially about moving to China, I had a hard time at first, so I totally understand the struggle.
